LSAT
LSAC
Complete guide to passing the LSAT exam on your first attempt.
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LSAC
Law school admission
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Complete Overview
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the admission test published by the Law School Admission Council for applicants to law schools in the United States, Canada, and a growing number of other countries, and registration costs $253 for the 2026-2027 testing year, a fee that includes LSAT Argumentative Writing. The people who sit it are prospective JD applicants, most of them in their final undergraduate year or already working, and the test measures reading of complex texts, drawing inferences, and the analysis of arguments rather than any body of legal knowledge.
The multiple-choice portion is four 35-minute sections with a 10-minute intermission between the second and third. Three of those sections are scored: two Logical Reasoning sections and one Reading Comprehension section. The fourth is an unscored variable section, either Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension, which LSAC uses to validate new questions for future forms, and you are not told which section it is. LSAC states that the test takes approximately three hours for standard test takers. The format has been in place since the August 2024 LSAT, when Analytical Reasoning, the section commonly called Logic Games, was removed and replaced by a second scored section of Logical Reasoning.
There is no passing score. Your raw score is the number of questions you answered correctly, every question carries equal weight, and nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so a blank is worth exactly as much as a guess and strictly less than a lucky one. LSAC converts the raw score to a scale that runs from 120 to 180. Using LSAC's own percentile table for the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 testing years, a 154 sits at the 50.43rd percentile, a 165 at the 85.17th, and a 170 at the 94.48th.
A separate, unscored component called LSAT Argumentative Writing is required before any score is released. It is delivered remotely on demand, available 24 hours a day, and opens in your LSAC account eight days before each test administration. You get 15 minutes of prewriting analysis, with the option to move on after five, then 35 minutes to write an argumentative essay. One approved writing sample on file covers you for repeat tests.
Delivery is changing. Starting with the August 2026 LSAT, LSAC is moving the multiple-choice portion toward in-centre testing at Prometric for almost all candidates, with limited exceptions such as certain disability-related accommodations. Both modalities run through the LawHub interface. Scores are posted to JD Services at 9 a.m. Eastern on the published release date for your administration.
LSAC caps repeat testing at five sittings within the current reportable score period and seven over a lifetime, and law schools receive every reportable result you have, including cancellations and absences, from the current testing year and the previous five. LSAC advises schools that a candidate's average LSAT score is the best predictor of ability, though many schools weight the highest score instead.
Why Get LSAT Certified?
Registration costs $253 for the 2026-2027 testing year, and that single fee includes LSAT Argumentative Writing, which is required before any score is released.
Scores are reportable for the current testing year plus the previous five, so an LSAT taken in July 2021 could still be used for applications through June 2027.
The scale runs 120 to 180 and law school outcomes turn on single points: LSAC's percentile table puts 165 at the 85.17th percentile and 170 at the 94.48th, roughly nine percentage points of the applicant pool inside five scale points.
LSAC reports that test takers sitting a second test in the same testing year gain 2 to 3 points on average, which makes a planned retake a rational part of an application timeline rather than a rescue plan.
The exam allows up to five sittings within the current reportable score period and seven over a lifetime, and LSAC estimates these limits affect fewer than 1 percent of test takers.
The August 2024 format change removed Analytical Reasoning entirely, so preparation now concentrates on two skill families instead of three, and Logical Reasoning supplies two of the three scored sections.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $151,160 for lawyers in May 2024, across 864,800 jobs, which sets the ceiling this test is a gate for.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
Four 35-minute sections, so 140 minutes of testing, plus a 10-minute intermission between the second and third sections. LSAC states the test takes approximately 3 hours for standard test takers. LSAT Argumentative Writing is a separate 15-minute prewriting period followed by 35 minutes of writing.
Questions
LSAC does not publish a fixed total. Three scored sections plus one unscored variable section. The Reading Comprehension section contains four sets, each with five to eight questions. Official LSAT PrepTests released by LSAC in this format carry roughly 75 scored questions.
Passing Score
None. The LSAT is not pass or fail. Scores run 120 to 180, and LSAC's percentile table for the 2023-2026 testing years places 154 at the 50.43rd percentile.
Question Types
- Logical Reasoning: a short argument followed by one question, rarely two
- Reading Comprehension: four sets built on a long passage or a comparative reading pair
- One unscored variable section of either Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension, unidentified during the test
- LSAT Argumentative Writing: an unscored argumentative essay on a debatable issue with competing perspectives
Delivery Method
Delivered on computer through the LawHub interface. Starting with the August 2026 LSAT, LSAC requires in-person testing at Prometric digital test centres for the multiple-choice portion. Remote testing is now an exception: candidates who document that they live more than 180 miles or three hours travel time from a test centre with available capacity may request one, as may candidates with approved medical or disability accommodations. LSAT Argumentative Writing stays remote and on demand for everyone.
How scoring works
Score scale
120 to 180 scaled score, in whole-point increments, reported with a percentile rank and a score band
Score needed to pass
No pass mark exists. The functional cut score is the median LSAT of the schools you are applying to, published by every ABA-accredited school in its Standard 509 disclosure. For reference, LSAC's percentile table for the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 testing years puts the 50th percentile at 154.
Roughly what that means raw
LSAC does not publish a fixed raw-to-scaled conversion, because each form is equated separately. Official LSAT PrepTests released by LSAC in the current three-scored-section format carry roughly 75 scored questions, and each one ships with its own conversion table.
When results arrive
There is no unofficial score at the end of the session. Scores post at 9 a.m. Eastern on the published release date for your administration, on the LSAT Status page in JD Services, with an email alert. Release requires an approved writing sample and no account holds. Score Preview purchasers see the score at the same time as everyone else and then have six calendar days to keep or cancel it.
How the scale is built
The raw score is the count of correct answers. Every question is weighted the same and nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so guessing carries no penalty. That raw total is equated onto the 120 to 180 scale so scores earned on different forms mean the same thing, which is why the raw total needed for a given scaled score shifts slightly between administrations. The report adds a percentile rank drawn from the previous three testing years and a score band reflecting measurement error.
Pacing and time budget
75 questions in 140 minutes gives you About 1 minute 24 seconds, taking 35 minutes against a 25-question section per question.
Minute 9 of a 35-minute section
One quarter of the section, so about 6 or 7 questions, or one Reading Comprehension set
Minute 17 of a 35-minute section
Half the section, about 12 or 13 questions, or two Reading Comprehension sets
Minute 26 of a 35-minute section
Three quarters of the section, about 18 or 19 questions, or three Reading Comprehension sets
Minute 33 of a 35-minute section
Every question either answered or flagged, leaving two minutes to fill in an answer for everything still blank
Minute 70 of the appointment
Sections one and two finished and the 10-minute intermission beginning; recheck in with the proctor before section three
| At this point | You should have answered |
|---|---|
| Minute 9 of a 35-minute section | One quarter of the section, so about 6 or 7 questions, or one Reading Comprehension set |
| Minute 17 of a 35-minute section | Half the section, about 12 or 13 questions, or two Reading Comprehension sets |
| Minute 26 of a 35-minute section | Three quarters of the section, about 18 or 19 questions, or three Reading Comprehension sets |
| Minute 33 of a 35-minute section | Every question either answered or flagged, leaving two minutes to fill in an answer for everything still blank |
| Minute 70 of the appointment | Sections one and two finished and the 10-minute intermission beginning; recheck in with the proctor before section three |
- The per-question figure is derived from 35 minutes against a 25-question section, since LSAC publishes section timing but not a fixed question count. Reading Comprehension is better paced by set: four sets in 35 minutes is about eight and three quarter minutes each.
- Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so the last two minutes of every section belong to filling in blanks, not to solving one more question.
- You cannot identify the unscored variable section, which may be Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension and may appear anywhere among the four. Work all four at full effort.
- Front-load within a section. Logical Reasoning questions are not strictly ordered by difficulty, but long stimuli late in a section are where clocks break, so flag and return rather than committing four minutes to one item.
- In Reading Comprehension, spend the first minute of each set on structure and main point. Questions answered from a map of the passage are faster than questions answered by rereading.
- The clock keeps running during an unscheduled restroom break, including the time it takes to rescan your room on return, so plan to use the scheduled 10-minute intermission instead.
Where the marks are
Logical reasoning
Two of the three scored sections, so roughly two thirds of scored questions
Since August 2024 the LSAT carries two scored Logical Reasoning sections. Improving accuracy by two questions per section moves your raw score by four, which is the difference between neighbouring scaled scores near the median.
Reading comprehension
One of the three scored sections, so roughly one third of scored questions
Four sets of five to eight questions in 35 minutes. Sets are drawn from humanities, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and law, and are densely written with high-level vocabulary and multiple points of view.
Assumption and flaw questions
not published
LSAC names detecting assumptions and identifying flaws among the tested skills. These questions turn on the gap between premise and conclusion, and the negation test resolves most necessary assumption items mechanically.
Strengthen, weaken, and the effect of new evidence
not published
LSAC lists determining how additional evidence affects an argument as a tested skill. Most of these stimuli are causal, so naming the alternative cause before reading the answers converts a slow question into a fast one.
Inference and principle questions
not published
LSAC names drawing well-supported conclusions and identifying and applying principles or rules. The common error is picking an answer that overreaches the stimulus by a single quantifier or degree word.
Comparative reading pairs
not published
A Reading Comprehension section contains one comparative set or none. Questions concern the relationship between two passages: generalisation and instance, principle and application, or point and counterpoint.
Parallel reasoning and parallel flaw
not published
LSAC lists recognising similarities and differences between patterns of reasoning, and reasoning by analogy. These items are slow because five answer choices each have to be abstracted, which makes them the best candidates for flagging.
| Topic | Weight | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|
| Logical reasoning | Two of the three scored sections, so roughly two thirds of scored questions | Since August 2024 the LSAT carries two scored Logical Reasoning sections. Improving accuracy by two questions per section moves your raw score by four, which is the difference between neighbouring scaled scores near the median. |
| Reading comprehension | One of the three scored sections, so roughly one third of scored questions | Four sets of five to eight questions in 35 minutes. Sets are drawn from humanities, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and law, and are densely written with high-level vocabulary and multiple points of view. |
| Assumption and flaw questions | not published | LSAC names detecting assumptions and identifying flaws among the tested skills. These questions turn on the gap between premise and conclusion, and the negation test resolves most necessary assumption items mechanically. |
| Strengthen, weaken, and the effect of new evidence | not published | LSAC lists determining how additional evidence affects an argument as a tested skill. Most of these stimuli are causal, so naming the alternative cause before reading the answers converts a slow question into a fast one. |
| Inference and principle questions | not published | LSAC names drawing well-supported conclusions and identifying and applying principles or rules. The common error is picking an answer that overreaches the stimulus by a single quantifier or degree word. |
| Comparative reading pairs | not published | A Reading Comprehension section contains one comparative set or none. Questions concern the relationship between two passages: generalisation and instance, principle and application, or point and counterpoint. |
| Parallel reasoning and parallel flaw | not published | LSAC lists recognising similarities and differences between patterns of reasoning, and reasoning by analogy. These items are slow because five answer choices each have to be abstracted, which makes them the best candidates for flagging. |
The numbers
120 to 180, with no deduction for wrong answers and all questions weighted equally
Score scale
Source: LSAC, LSAT Scoring page, lsac.org
154 sits at the 50.43rd percentile; 165 at the 85.17th; 170 at the 94.48th
Median score
Source: LSAC, LSAT Percentile Table for the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 testing years
$253 for the 2026-2027 testing year, including LSAT Argumentative Writing
Registration fee
Source: LSAC, LSAT and CAS Fees page, lsac.org
2 to 3 points for test takers taking their second test in the same testing year
Average gain on a second sitting
Source: LSAC, Retaking the LSAT page, lsac.org
Five sittings within the current reportable score period and seven over a lifetime; LSAC estimates the policy affects fewer than 1 percent of test takers
Testing limits
Source: LSAC, Limits on Repeating the Test policy, lsac.org
$151,160 a year in May 2024, across 864,800 jobs, with 4 percent projected growth to 2034
Median wage for lawyers
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Lawyers
If you fail
Wait before retaking
No fixed waiting period is published. Retakes are limited by the calendar of scheduled administrations and by each administration's registration deadline, not by an interval rule. If you have already scored 180 within the current reportable score period, you may not retake the test at all.
Attempt limit
Five sittings within the current reportable score period, meaning since July 2021, and seven over a lifetime. Cancelled scores count toward these limits, including scores cancelled under Score Preview. Absences and withdrawals do not count, tests before September 2019 do not count, and the May, June, July, and August 2020 LSAT-Flex administrations are excluded.
Retake fee
Full price. LSAC charges $253 for a retake in the 2026-2027 testing year, the same as a first sitting. A Tier 1 fee waiver covers up to two LSATs within the two-year waiver period; a Tier 2 waiver does not include a retake. Changing your test date is free through the registration deadline, then $153 for up to seven days after it, then $253.
If you already have an approved LSAT Writing or LSAT Argumentative Writing sample from the current reportable period, you do not repeat it for a retake. To exceed a testing limit, email [email protected] at least five business days before the registration deadline with your account number and documentation of an extenuating circumstance; decisions arrive within five business days and are final, and an approved appeal must be registered by phone with an LSAC representative.
Exam Domains & Topics
LSAC does not publish percentage weights for question types. What it does publish is the section structure: two of the three scored sections are Logical Reasoning, so this family supplies roughly two thirds of your scored questions. Arguments are drawn from newspapers, magazines, scholarly publications, advertisements, and informal discourse.
Key Topics to Master:
- Recognising the parts of an argument and their relationships
- Identifying the main conclusion when it is buried mid-paragraph
- Separating premise from intermediate conclusion
- Method of reasoning questions asking how the argument proceeds
- Identifying explanations rather than arguments
- Reading a stimulus without any specialised logical terminology, which LSAC confirms is not required
The densest cluster of question types in the scored Logical Reasoning sections. LSAC names detecting assumptions and identifying flaws among the skills these questions assess, and expects a university-level grasp of argument, premise, assumption, and conclusion.
Key Topics to Master:
- Necessary assumption questions and the negation test
- Sufficient assumption questions and gap-bridging
- Flaw in the reasoning, including causal and sampling flaws
- Conditional logic, contrapositives, and confusing necessary with sufficient
- Questions asking what would be most useful to know in evaluating the argument
- Points of disagreement between two speakers
LSAC lists determining how additional evidence affects an argument among the tested skills. These questions add a fact and ask what it does to the argument's support, which is a different task from finding a gap.
Key Topics to Master:
- Strengthen and weaken questions
- Resolve the paradox and explain the discrepancy
- Causal reasoning: alternative causes, reversed causation, and coincidence
- Answer choices that are true but irrelevant to the support relationship
- Distinguishing degree of impact between two plausible answers
The heavier-reading end of the Logical Reasoning sections. LSAC names drawing well-supported conclusions, reasoning by analogy, and identifying and applying principles or rules as skills under test.
Key Topics to Master:
- Must be true and most strongly supported inference questions
- Principle identification and principle application
- Parallel reasoning and parallel flaw
- Reasoning by analogy
- Cannot be true questions
- Managing time on stimuli that run long
One of the three scored sections. LSAC states the section contains four sets, each set being a reading selection followed by five to eight questions, with either three or four single passages per section. Selections come from the humanities, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and law-related areas.
Key Topics to Master:
- Main idea and primary purpose
- Information explicitly stated versus inferred
- Meaning or purpose of a word or phrase in context
- Organisation and structure of the passage
- Author attitude revealed through tone and word choice
- Applying information from the selection to a new context
A Reading Comprehension section includes either one comparative reading set or none, according to LSAC. The pair is two shorter related passages, and the questions concern the relationship between them: generalisation and instance, principle and application, or point and counterpoint.
Key Topics to Master:
- Points of agreement and disagreement between two authors
- How one passage would treat a claim made in the other
- Differences in scope and purpose between paired passages
- The effect of new information on claims in either passage
- Reading the second passage against the first rather than in isolation
Required but unscored. LSAC releases no score without an approved writing sample on file. You are given a debatable issue framed by a Key Question plus several perspectives, then write an essay taking a position while addressing at least one competing argument.
Key Topics to Master:
- 15 minutes of prewriting analysis, skippable after 5 minutes
- 35 minutes to write the essay
- Taking a clear position within the ongoing conversation
- Engaging at least one of the other perspectives directly
- Delivered remotely with secure proctoring software on your own computer, available 24 hours a day
- No physical scratch paper is allowed, but a digital notes area is built into the interface
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Sit one of the four free Official LSAT PrepTests on LawHub under real conditions: four 35-minute sections, one 10-minute intermission after section two
- 2Score it and record the raw count in each section separately rather than only the scaled total
- 3Read the LSAC pages on Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension so you are working from the publisher's own description of what is tested
- 4Learn the LawHub interface deliberately: eliminating answers, flagging, highlighting, text size, line spacing, and colour scheme
- 5Set a target score by looking up the median LSAT of the schools you want in their ABA required disclosures, then find that number in LSAC's percentile table
- 1Drill conditional statements until translating a sentence and taking its contrapositive is automatic
- 2Practise separating premise, intermediate conclusion, and main conclusion on 60 untimed stimuli
- 3Work the free LawHub drill sets targeted at argument structure, which give explanations for every question
- 4Read The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim or The Loophole in LSAT Logical Reasoning by Ellen Cassidy for a systematic method, not for tricks
- 5Start an error log with three columns: question type, what you thought, and why the credited answer wins
- 1Drill 100 necessary assumption questions untimed, using the negation test on every answer you keep
- 2Drill sufficient assumption questions separately so you stop conflating the two
- 3Build a list of the recurring flaw names and match each one to at least three real questions
- 4Redo every assumption question you missed after a 48-hour gap, without looking at your notes
- 5Time one 35-minute Logical Reasoning section at the end of the week to check that accuracy survives the clock
- 1Drill 80 strengthen and weaken questions and mark whether each argument was causal, analogical, or statistical
- 2Practise naming the alternative cause out loud before reading the answer choices on causal stimuli
- 3Work resolve the paradox questions as a separate set, since the task is explanation rather than support
- 4Review your error log for answers you eliminated because they seemed too weak, which is the classic strengthen error
- 5Take a second timed Logical Reasoning section and compare section timing against week three
- 1Drill must be true and most strongly supported questions, marking which answers overreach and by how much
- 2Work principle identification and principle application as separate sets
- 3Practise parallel reasoning by abstracting both the stimulus and each answer to a skeleton before comparing
- 4Deliberately skip and return: practise flagging two long stimuli per section and finishing them last
- 5Sit a full timed PrepTest and compare Logical Reasoning accuracy in section one against the later section
- 1Read four passages a day and write a one-sentence main point plus a structural note per paragraph before touching questions
- 2Learn to spot the author's own view against views the author is reporting, which drives most attitude questions
- 3Practise the LawHub Reading Comprehension drill sets and read the provided explanations for every miss
- 4Time individual passage sets at eight to nine minutes each, since the section holds four sets in 35 minutes
- 5Read dense material outside the test, such as scientific and legal journalism, to build tolerance for unfamiliar subject matter
- 1Drill every comparative reading set you can find, noting that a section carries either one such set or none
- 2Practise mapping the relationship between paired passages before reading the questions
- 3Rank passage sets by difficulty in the first 60 seconds and choose your reading order deliberately
- 4Work on locating detail questions quickly using the passage structure you noted rather than rereading
- 5Sit a full timed PrepTest, then blind review every flagged question before checking answers
- 1Take two full PrepTests this week at the same time of day as your scheduled administration
- 2Blind review each test completely: redo every question you flagged or guessed, untimed, before scoring
- 3Track raw score per section rather than the scaled score, since only raw performance is under your control
- 4Register for your test date if you have not already, and check the accommodation request deadline if that applies to you
- 5Decide now whether to buy LSAT Score Preview at $46, which is cheaper before the first day of testing than the $87 after
- 1Practise a fixed within-section pacing plan and check the clock at fixed points rather than continuously
- 2Rehearse the endgame: with two minutes left, fill an answer for every remaining question, because nothing is deducted for a wrong answer
- 3Do timed sections back to back to build the stamina for four sections plus an intermission
- 4Attack your weakest question type in daily 20-question sets rather than in full sections
- 5Complete LSAT Argumentative Writing practice with the free prompt on LawHub
- 1Sort your error log by question type and spend the week on the two types with the worst accuracy
- 2Redo 40 questions of each weak type in mixed order, so you have to recognise the task before solving it
- 3Take one full PrepTest mid-week and one at the end, keeping the intermission to exactly 10 minutes
- 4Practise the recheck-in routine after the intermission, which is mandatory and terminates the session if missed
- 5Confirm your legal first and last name in your LSAC account matches your identification exactly
- 1Take two full PrepTests under exact conditions, including the permitted scratch paper for your modality
- 2If you are testing at a Prometric centre, practise with unlined paper, since centres supply three blank unlined booklets of two pages each and two pencils
- 3If you have an approved remote exception, practise with the permitted six blank 8.5 by 11 inch sheets
- 4Complete LSAT Argumentative Writing as soon as it opens, eight days before your administration, because processing can take up to three weeks and your score is not released without it
- 5Run the Prometric System Readiness Check if you are testing remotely
- 1Cut to one section a day, keeping the routine without building fatigue
- 2Review your error log rather than taking new full tests in the final four days
- 3Check your physical identification: a valid passport, or a government-issued photo identification from the United States, its territories, or Canada, current or expired within three months
- 4Confirm your test time slot in the Prometric ProScheduler tool and plan travel or, for remote exceptions, clear the room
- 5Note the score release date for your administration and the six-day score cancellation window that starts from your test date
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Best Study Resources
LawHub free Official LSAT Prep
Official practiceLSAC provides four full free PrepTests plus free drill sets on Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension question types, with hints and explanations for every question and personalised reports on practice set performance.
Free with an LSAC account
LawHub Advantage subscription
Official practice libraryOpens an extensive library of full Official LSAT PrepTests in the same interface used on test day. Practising in the real interface matters because the eliminate, flag, and highlight tools all have to be reflexive by the time you sit the test.
Paid subscription from LSAC
LSAC LSAT percentile table
Official dataThe published distribution for the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 testing years. Use it to convert a target school's median LSAT into a percentile and to see how many points separate you from that median.
Free
LSAC Candidate Agreement
Official policySection 13 lists items permitted at test centres and Section 14 lists items permitted while testing remotely, including scratch paper rules. Read the sections that apply to your modality before test day rather than discovering them at check-in.
Free
The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim
BookA self-study book organised around a repeatable method for Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. Check that the edition you buy postdates the August 2024 removal of Analytical Reasoning so you are not drilling a section that no longer exists.
Around $60 in print
The Loophole in LSAT Logical Reasoning by Ellen Cassidy
BookFocuses on translating stimuli into plain language and predicting the answer before reading the choices. Useful for candidates whose Logical Reasoning accuracy collapses under time pressure rather than untimed.
Around $70 in print
PowerScore LSAT Bibles
Book seriesThe Logical Reasoning Bible and Reading Comprehension Bible remain in print and updated for the current format. The Logic Games Bible covers a section that was removed in August 2024 and is no longer relevant preparation.
Around $50 to $110 per volume
7Sage LSAT
Course platformVideo explanations for individual official questions plus analytics that break accuracy down by question type. The per-question explanation library is the part most students use, because it turns an error log into targeted drilling.
Tiered monthly subscription
LSAT Demon
Course platformAdaptive drilling on official questions with daily live classes. Its drilling engine serves harder questions as accuracy rises, which suits candidates already scoring in the 160s and stalling.
Tiered monthly subscription
ABA Standard 509 required disclosures
Official dataEvery ABA-accredited law school publishes the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile LSAT of its entering class. This is the source for setting a target score, and it is more reliable than aggregated rankings sites.
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Preparing with materials that still teach Analytical Reasoning
Logic Games were removed with the August 2024 LSAT and replaced by a second scored Logical Reasoning section. Any book, course, or PrepTest section drilling sequencing and grouping games is teaching a section that no longer appears. Check the publication date before you buy.
Leaving questions blank at the end of a section
LSAC deducts nothing for a wrong answer and weights every question identically. With two minutes left, fill in an answer for every remaining question. A blank has exactly one chance in infinity of scoring; a guess has one in five.
Delaying LSAT Argumentative Writing until after the multiple-choice test
Your score is not released without an approved writing sample, and LSAC warns processing can take up to three weeks. The writing opens in your account eight days before your administration. Complete it then, not after, or your score release date will pass without a score.
Assuming you can identify and coast through the unscored section
The variable section is either Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension, is not labelled, and can appear anywhere in the four. Candidates who decide mid-test that a section is experimental and stop trying frequently guess wrong and throw away a scored section.
Treating a cancelled score as though it never happened
Cancelled scores, including those cancelled under Score Preview, count against the five-in-period and seven-lifetime testing limits. Absences and withdrawals do not. Cancellation protects your reported record, not your remaining attempts.
Taking the test repeatedly instead of changing how you study
LSAC reports that test takers sitting a second test in the same testing year gain 2 to 3 points on average. Some scores do not move and some fall. If your preparation has not changed materially since the last sitting, a retake is likely to reproduce it.
Scoring practice tests without a blind review
Redo every question you flagged or guessed, untimed and before looking at the answer key. The gap between your timed score and your blind review score is the part of your score that timing is costing you, and it is the only diagnostic that separates a knowledge problem from a pacing problem.
Arriving with identification that does not match your LSAC account
The first and last name on your physical identification must exactly match the legal name on your LSAC account, which you change on the Profile page. LSAC accepts a physical passport or a physical government-issued photo identification from the United States, its territories, or Canada, and no digital image under any circumstances.
Bringing your own scratch paper to a test centre
Candidates testing at a centre are supplied three blank unlined colour booklets of two pages each plus two pencils, and are not permitted to bring their own paper or writing instruments. Remote test takers with an approved exception may have six blank 8.5 by 11 inch sheets, lined, unlined, or graphed.
Missing the recheck-in after the 10-minute intermission
You must check back in with the proctor before resuming. LSAC states that failing to complete the recheck-in terminates the session, forces registration for a new administration, and yields no refund. Set the intermission plan in advance: no phone, no test material, back in the chair early.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Bring a physical, valid international passport or a physical government-issued photo identification from the United States, its territories, or Canada. It must be current or expired within three months of your test date and show a recent photo, your first name, last name, and date of birth. US military identification cannot be used, because by law it cannot be photographed.
- 2
Check that the legal first and last name in your LSAC account matches your identification exactly, and fix it on the Profile page in advance rather than at check-in.
- 3
Know your modality. From the August 2026 LSAT, LSAC is moving almost all candidates to in-person testing at Prometric centres, with limited exceptions such as certain disability-related accommodations, so confirm where you are testing before you plan the day.
- 4
At a test centre, all equipment and materials including scratch paper and pencils are provided. A locker is supplied for everything else. Do not bring paper or pens.
- 5
Beverage rules differ by modality: at a centre, water only, in a clear container with a lid and no labels; remote test takers may have a beverage in a clear container. Expect the container to be inspected.
- 6
The 10-minute intermission falls between the second and third sections only. You may leave your testing area, but possession of a phone or other electronic device during the intermission terminates the test.
- 7
Check in again with the proctor before resuming after the intermission. Skipping that step ends the session with no refund and no score.
- 8
Unscheduled restroom breaks are permitted after notifying the proctor, but the clock keeps running, including while you rescan the room on return.
- 9
Headphones, earbuds, and corded or banded ear protection are not allowed unless accommodated. Only plain soft non-electronic foam ear plugs are permitted, and in-person test takers use the headphones handed to them at the start.
- 10
Answer every question. Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, and all questions are weighted equally, so the last two minutes of every section should end with a full answer grid.
- 11
Decide about LSAT Score Preview before the first day of testing, when it costs $46 rather than the $87 charged after testing concludes. Without it, score cancellation must happen within six calendar days of your test date.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Practising lawyer
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $151,160 for lawyers in May 2024 across 864,800 jobs, with 4 percent projected growth to 2034. Within that figure, federal government lawyers had the highest industry median at $174,680 and state government lawyers the lowest of the major groups at $111,280.
Around $151,160 a year at the median
Judge or magistrate
Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates had a median annual wage of $156,210 in May 2024, with 27,300 people in the occupation. Entry typically requires a law degree plus five or more years of practice, so this is a mid-career destination rather than a first job.
Around $156,210 a year at the median
Administrative law judge or hearing officer
Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers had a median annual wage of $115,230 in May 2024 across 17,500 positions, most of them in state and federal government. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 1 percent decline in this group to 2034.
Around $115,230 a year at the median
Arbitrator, mediator, or conciliator
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators had a median annual wage of $67,710 in May 2024. The entry-level education for the occupation is a bachelor's degree, so a JD is a differentiator rather than a requirement, and many practitioners combine this work with other legal roles.
Around $67,710 a year at the median
Law school faculty
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2024 median annual wage of $126,650 for law teachers, postsecondary, against $83,980 for postsecondary teachers as a whole. Law faculty are the highest-paid teaching category BLS lists in that group, and entry normally runs through practice, a clerkship, or scholarship rather than straight from a JD.
Around $126,650 a year at the median
Paralegal or legal operations without a JD
Paralegals and legal assistants had a median annual wage of $61,010 in May 2024 across 376,200 jobs, with employment projected to be flat to 2034. This is the relevant comparison if an LSAT score does not lead to an affordable law school offer.
Around $61,010 a year at the median
Prerequisites & Requirements
- There are no education prerequisites. LSAC does not require a completed bachelor's degree, a particular major, or any coursework to register for the LSAT.
- You need an LSAC account, and the legal first and last name on it has to match the identification you will present.
- You need physical, valid identification: an international passport, or a government-issued photo identification from the United States, its territories, or Canada, current or expired within three months of the test date.
- You must sign the LSAC Candidate Agreement each time you take the test, which governs permitted items, prohibited behaviour, and what you may say about the test afterwards.
- You must have an approved writing sample on file, from LSAT Writing or LSAT Argumentative Writing, before any score is released.
- You must be within the testing limits: five sittings within the current reportable score period and seven over a lifetime, with an appeal route by email for extenuating circumstances.
- You may not retake the test if you have already scored 180 within the current reportable score period.
- Testing accommodations require a request submitted by the accommodation request deadline for your administration, and previously approved candidates automatically receive the same or equivalent accommodations on later registrations.
- Law schools additionally require the Credential Assembly Service at $219, plus a $45 law school report for each school you apply to, but neither is needed to sit the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the LSAT cost?
$253 for the 2026-2027 testing year, in US dollars, and that price includes LSAT Argumentative Writing. The fee is identical for first-time and repeat test takers, and LSAC publishes no regional pricing, though your country's taxes and exchange rate may affect what you actually pay. The Credential Assembly Service is a separate $219, and each law school report is $45.
Is there a passing score?
No. The LSAT produces a scaled score from 120 to 180 with no pass or fail line. What matters is where your score sits relative to the schools you are applying to. Using LSAC's percentile table for the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 testing years, 154 is the 50.43rd percentile, 160 is the 71.06th, 165 is the 85.17th, and 170 is the 94.48th.
How is the raw score converted to the 120 to 180 scale?
Your raw score is simply the number of questions you answered correctly. LSAC states that all test questions are weighted exactly the same and that nothing is deducted for an incorrect answer. The raw score is then converted to the 120 to 180 scale so that scores earned on different administrations are comparable, which means the raw total needed for a given scaled score varies slightly from form to form.
How many questions are on the test?
LSAC does not publish a fixed total. The test has four 35-minute sections, three scored and one unscored. LSAC does specify that a Reading Comprehension section contains four sets of five to eight questions each, with three or four single passages and either one comparative reading set or none. Official PrepTests released by LSAC in this format carry roughly 75 scored questions.
What happens if I do badly?
You have two options with hard deadlines. You may cancel the score within six calendar days of your test date, in which case it is never reported to schools but still counts against your testing limits. Or, if you bought LSAT Score Preview beforehand, you see your score first and then get six calendar days from the release date to decide whether to keep it. Take no action under Score Preview and the score is kept automatically.
How many times can I retake the LSAT?
Five times within the current reportable score period and seven times over a lifetime. Cancelled scores count against these limits; absences and withdrawals do not. Tests taken before September 2019 are not counted, and the May, June, July, and August 2020 LSAT-Flex administrations are excluded. LSAC estimates the policy affects fewer than 1 percent of test takers.
Is there a waiting period between attempts?
There is no published waiting period beyond the spacing of administrations themselves, since the LSAT is only offered on scheduled dates through the testing year. The binding constraints are the numerical limits and the registration deadline for the administration you want. If you have already scored 180 within the current reportable score period, you are not permitted to retake the test at all.
Can I appeal the testing limit?
Yes. Email [email protected] with your name, LSAC account number, the test date you want, an explanation of the significant and extenuating circumstance, and supporting documentation. The deadline is five business days before the registration deadline for that administration, and a decision comes within five business days and is final. An exemption from one limit does not lift the others.
Does a retake actually raise scores?
On average, modestly. LSAC states that analyses indicate test takers sitting their second test in the same testing year increase their scores 2 to 3 points on average, while some scores do not change and some decrease. That average is a reason to plan a retake into your timeline early, and a reason not to expect a ten-point jump from a second sitting alone.
How do law schools treat multiple scores?
They see all of them. Every reportable result from the current testing year and the previous five is sent, including cancellations and absences. LSAC advises law schools that a candidate's average LSAT score is the best predictor of ability, but many schools place more weight on the highest score. Policies vary by school, so ask the schools you are targeting directly.
How long is an LSAT score valid?
Results are reported for the current testing year plus the previous five testing years, where a testing year runs 1 July to 30 June. A score earned in July 2021 could therefore be used for applications through June 2027. Scores earned before July 2021 are not valid for law school admission and do not appear on your score report at all.
When are scores released?
At 9 a.m. Eastern on the designated score release date for your administration, posted to the LSAT Status page in JD Services, with an email notification. Release requires an approved writing sample on file and no holds on your account. Unless you bought Score Preview, your score goes to the schools you have applied to at the same moment it goes to you.
What identification do I need?
A physical, valid international passport, or a physical, valid government-issued photo identification issued by the United States, its territories, or Canada. It must be current or expired within three months of your test date and show a recent recognisable photo, your first name, last name, and date of birth. Digital images and photocopies are refused in every case, and US military identification cannot be used.
Is the LSAT still available at home?
Only by exception from the August 2026 LSAT onward. LSAC states the multiple-choice portion is moving toward in-centre testing at Prometric for almost all test takers, with limited remote exceptions considered for 2026-2027, including candidates whose disability-related accommodations require a separate room in a test centre. LSAT Argumentative Writing stays remote and on demand for everybody.
What can I have on my desk?
At a Prometric centre, everything is supplied: three blank unlined colour scratch paper booklets of two pages each, two pencils, and headphones issued at the start. Personal paper and writing instruments are prohibited and a locker is provided for your belongings. Remote test takers with an approved exception may use six blank 8.5 by 11 inch sheets, lined, unlined, or graphed. No scratch paper at all is permitted for LSAT Argumentative Writing.
Are calculators or reference materials allowed?
No. The LSAT contains no arithmetic that would need one and no reference material is permitted. The only tools available are the ones built into the LawHub interface: answer elimination, flagging, highlighting, incremental text enlargement, line spacing, and colour scheme selection. Learn those in practice so you are not discovering them on test day.
Are accommodations available?
Yes, for candidates with documented disabilities, requested through JD Services by the accommodation request deadline for your administration. Candidates previously approved automatically receive the same or equivalent accommodations on later registrations. Anyone approved for 100 percent additional time or more may request five-minute breaks after sections one and three, in addition to the standard intermission, if requested by the published deadline. Alternative formats including paper and braille are available in Prometric centres in the United States and Canada.
What is LSAT Argumentative Writing and can I skip it?
It is an unscored, required essay administered separately from the multiple-choice test, remotely and on demand, 24 hours a day. You get 15 minutes of prewriting analysis, skippable after five, then 35 minutes to write. You cannot skip it: no score is released without an approved sample on file. One sample covers you for the whole reportable period, so repeat testers who already have one do not repeat it.
What if I think my score is wrong?
LSAC offers an optional Score Audit for $150, or $75 if you have been preapproved for a fee waiver, requested after you receive your score. LSAC notes that it runs multiple accuracy checks before release and that the chance of an error on a computerised test is extremely small. An audit can move the score in either direction, and the revised result goes to the schools you apply to.
How does the LSAT compare with the GRE for law school?
A growing number of law schools accept the GRE, but the LSAT remains the test built for this purpose and the one LSAC scores against a law-school-specific percentile table. The practical differences: the LSAT contains no mathematics and no vocabulary section, its 120 to 180 scale is finely divided across a narrow band of applicant ability, and every ABA-accredited school publishes LSAT medians in its Standard 509 disclosures, which makes target setting far more precise.
Success Stories
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Columbia Law '26
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Full Scholarship, NYU Law
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Harvard Law '25
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